Unsuppressable Giggles
by Darveymylove
Summary: Harvey and Donna’s drunken night out! #Darvey


The evening had started off civilized. Four friends who are more like family, sharing a meal in celebration, blending in to the murmur of a dimly lit classy restaurant. Toasting the anniversary of the younger couple, and the new engagement of the elder. Each respective pair stealing quiet moments throughout the night, wordless glances of affection, light caressing of hands, both women fiddling lovingly with the cuff of gold that enclosed their fourth finger. It was the height of perfection, they had so much to be thankful for, so much to celebrate, so the champagne flowed, their crystal flutes appeared bottom-less.

All in the name of harmless celebration and fun.

So how the hell did they end up here?

Harvey Specter prides himself on being able to hold his drink. He was man that liked to be in control of the situation, dictating how it progresses, not stumbling along blindly behind. In fact, he could barely recall the last time he had been really, thoroughly drunk.

That is, until tonight.

Harvey felt time slow down as the strobe lighting in the large bar – or what they later discovered was in fact a night club – kicked in. Those harsh flashing lights had a way of giving you an out of body experience, the world passing by in stop motion. He was surrounded by masses of young people, twenties and upwards, all dancing to boom of the bass, all skimpily dressed, and it suddenly occurred to him that this was not the kind of place suited to his Tom Ford tuxedo. He fiddled with his bow tie, yanking it off and opening his top button, shoving the silky black material into his pocket.

A stupid smile paints his face at the memory of Donna earlier that evening - when they both still walked on the right side of sanity – doing his bow-tie for him. He had taken to pretending he couldn't tie them, ever since they had come together, enjoying the faux scolding she gave him each time, before relenting and moving closer, soft hands tying it with ease. Giving him the perfect excuse to plant a kiss on her lips.

Donna. Shit. Where is she?

The small part of his brain that keeps him sane while drunk prompts him, yanking him roughly from his drunken day-dream.

He tries to gather his scattered memories of the evening, beginning to move away from the bar stool he'd been leaning on, something pulling him towards the large dance floor.

Donna was already well past the tipsy mark when they arrived at the nightclub, dragging the other three inside, shouting something about shots. The party had followed, with a sarcastic remark from Mike to Harvey about keeping an eye on the redhead.

Harvey can't remember when he lost her, nor how. But the state she was in when he last remembers seeing her does nothing to calm his nerves. When suddenly –

"HARVEYYYYY!!!"

The shriek of his name is so high pitched that he hears it clearly over the deafening thump of the music. He drags his eyes in the direction of the dance floor, and sure enough, there she is.

The tight curls that had held so perfectly in her hair had fallen out mostly, creating what almost looked like a beach wave, her sheer baby pink dress caught every glimmer of light in the room, bouncing off the shimmery material and shooting it back out with an alluring sparkle, she had one side of the skirt bunched up in her hand, along with the heels she'd long since removed. Her face was silly with ecstasy, as she spun round, center stage, - unsurprisingly – on the dance floor.

Harvey's mouth fell open loosely, he felt like a teenage boy again, but it wasn't the alcohol that did it to him (although it surely helped) it was her.

His chest pooled with lust and love, as she drunkenly-beamed at him. He approached the edge of the dance floor, the rest of the bar was elevated, the dance floor slightly lower with about six steps leading down to the wooden floor, he smiled at her, an open-mouthed smile that made her giggle.

"Harveeeeeeey!" she screamed again, continuing to dance sloppily, even wasted she was stunning, "get over here and dance with me!"

He was so taken with her, that the request barely registered, his mind occupied with an odd youthful urge to steal her away to a quiet corner of the club, the thought making his eyes darken with want.

"Don't be such a los-er." She pouted at him, just about getting the sentence out in one go.

But that remark caught his attention, nobody called Harvey Specter a loser.

Not even Donna.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

He makes his way down the steps, disguising a stumble as he reaches the bottom, before he's managed to get his bearings, a weight hits him.

Donna had lurched towards him, dropping her shoes in the process, and jumping into his arms with a gleeful shriek.

She really is drunk.

Before he knows what he's doing, he's spinning her around, his arms hooked under her legs, and her hands at the back of his neck. He's in awe as she throws her head back laughing, the sound elating him, spurring him to spin faster, along with the liquer coursing through his veins.

Oh, Kiss me beneath the milky twilight,

Lead me, out on the moonlit floor…

They seemed to have landed in at this club on some throwback 90's night, the spirited sound of Sixpence None the Richer really aiding the process of bringing them back to their younger years…

Lift your open hand,

Strike up the band, and make the fireflies dance,

Silver moon's sparkling,

So Kiss me.

She jumps out of his hold, grabbing his hand instead and spinning herself under his arm, having let go of the grip on her dress, the thin material of the skirt follows her, adding an ironic element of grace to her drunken movements.

"I loveeeeeee this song!" she exclaims, dragging out her words.

"I loveeeeeee you." He counters, it slips out mockingly but the words reign true.

Her erratic dancing pauses, her eyes widening and landing on his, her reaction would suggest she hadn't heard him say those very words, every day, for the last year.

She leaps toward him again, only this time her hands cup his cheeks, lips crashing in a messy kiss, her aim directed at his bottom lip, he can taste the alcohol on her breath, intoxicating him further. It takes all the will power he has not to drag her home.

Her touch vanishes almost as soon as it arrived, her nose brushing his she keeps him close, not pulling back fully, his eyes land on hers and they're way out of focus, glazed over, her pupils dilated, partly with drunkenness, partly with lust.

"Let's do shots." She murmurs against his chin, pulling him away from the dancefloor and in the direction of the bar. It's the last place they need to be going, but at this very moment, he'd follow her anywhere, the argument dying on his lips as he's distracted by the exposed constellations of freckles on her back.

Ten minutes and three shots each later, they've leveled the playing field. The world through Harvey's eyes is even more distorted than previously, it seems the only thing he can focus on is her.

That being a challenge in itself as she sways and stumbles her way through the overcrowded venue. She looks as though she could hit the floor at any given second and the thought drives him to take hold of her elbow, slowing her and hooking an arm around her waist.

"Har-vaaay," she laughs, rolling her eyes as they droop heavily, "You d-on needa hol- on to me, I'm per-fffect-laaaysow-ber."

"Would you swear that under oath Miss Paulsen?" he quips, holding on a little tighter. He was wrong, this isn't an even playing field, if he thought she was drunk before…

"Mmmhmm." She confirms, "Can I tell ya some-fing?" she turns, wrapping her arms around his neck and smiling smugly, for some unknown reason.

"Sure thing." He holds back a laugh at the silly look on her face, appreciating the moment's rest from navigating the crowd.

Donna leans in, her lips brushing the soft outer skin of his ear, "I have a haaa-uge crush on you." She giggles, concealing a little hiccup.

He chuckles, there's nothing quite as entertaining as Donna drunk, for someone who's usually so on the ball, she can be really, really ridiculous, "Sorry Miss, I'm engaged." He replies, all too amused by her admission.

"Harv!" she rolls her eyes exaggeratedly, a look of annoyance twisting her face, "it's me! Donna! I'm your fiancé!" she shakes her head, pouting, "you must be wayyy-sted."

He can't resist any longer, splintering in a fit of laughter that strikes him out of the blue, he's never been the goofy-drunk type, but he guesses that's just yet another testament to how much she's rubbing off on him.

Donna joins him, shrieking with tremendous giggles of her own, "le-ts get outta he-errr." She slurs, all while continuing to pull him in the direction of the exit, it's the blind leading the blind.

It's not long before their roles have reversed again, Donna leading them on a winding wild goose chase, her sense of direction impaired, not only by the umpteen drinks she'd consumed but also by the fact that she'd long since lost her high heels, no longer able to see above the heads of the crowd.

After what feels like an age of wandering the night club, the exit door finally comes into Harvey's view, he tugs on her arm a little harder, with the intention of prompting her to follow. The sudden movement has a completely different affect, as he feels her stumble forward, her grip on his hand tightening before her feet give way. At that same moment, those damning strobe lights kick in once again, throwing Harvey completely. She's sent tumbling to the floor, and he's not far behind, managing to wrap another arm around her waist, angling them so she falls on top. They hit the floor hard, with a grunt from Harvey and a hiss from Donna, a mess of red waves covering his face.

He feels her rest the palms of her hands against his chest, propping herself up slightly, she peers down at his smirk, and can't help but burst out laughing, her whole body trembling against his.

"C'mon giggles," he murmurs, "let's get you out of here."

The use of the nickname only sends Donna spiraling further, her cheeks red with laughter as Harvey manouvers them, she may as well be a rag doll, completely out of control of her limbs.

He manages to sit them up, struggling to his feet as he attempts to help Donna stand, with great effort, he succeeds, anchoring his grip around her waist and all but dragging her the final few steps towards the door.

The cool night air hits them sharply as they stumble onto the street. Breathing heavily, cleansing the smokiness of the bar from their lungs. It's slightly sobering – slightly, the quietness of the street, in comparison with the nightclub, is ironically deafening.

And though she's still intoxicated, the goofiness seems to drain from her. It's as though they've rejoined the real world now, and the thought makes her uneasy for no apparent reason, that alcohol induced anxiety settling low in her chest. She has to resist the urge to vomit, cry or pass out - or all of the above.

Harvey is quick to notice the change in her, the way the smile that had been plastered on her pink tinted face all night had melted away to nothing, the color washed from her face. He's witnessed Donna drunk before, never quite this drunk, but still, he remembers how she hits that wall. Everything is funny to her, until it isn't, then all hell breaks loose. And he'd rather be at home before the water works kick off.

He takes in the street, recognizing the building across the way, they're about two blocks from central park, which means they're not too far from his penthouse, still too far to walk home however, considering the state they're in. A glance at his watch confirms his suspicion, it's almost 3:30am, and cabs seem scarce, with many other couples and groups lingering around the exit in search of a way home themselves.

He suddenly realizes that Donna is no longer at his side, a sixth sense alerting him before he's even looked round.

"Don-" he begins but stops short when his eyes land on her, she's unsteady on her feet, struggling her way over to the outer wall of the club, the hem of her dress trailing behind her, almost tripping her multiple times. When she reaches the concrete wall, she leans her back against it, sliding down slowly to sit, she looks utterly defeated.

Harvey approaches, stumbling slightly, still a little off balance but nothing to match her. Crouching down carefully, the palm of one had rooted to the wall for support, "You okay?" he prompts warily.

"Home-" is all she can manage to rasp, bringing a hand to her mouth and closing her eyes to signal to him that anymore movement or chat would result in her stomach turning on her.

He nods and has to disguise a smirk, she's so predictable.

"I'm going to go find us a cab – I'm not going far, don't worry." He tries to reassure her but she rolls her eyes, clearly unbothered by the thought of his absence, even wasted, she's not made of paper, she'll survive five minutes on her own. She's managed herself drunk on nights out before, this isn't new.

He shakes his head at her stubbornness, planting a kiss on her forehead before rising in search of that cab.

It's ten minutes later and he's still had no luck, he curses under his breath, toying with the idea of ringing Ray but reminding himself of the late – or more like early – hour. It strikes him suddenly how far he's wandered from Donna, he'd gone around the corner onto the neighboring avenue in his search, not thinking about the fact that it would leave her out of his sight.

It's one of the things he hates most about being drunk, his inability to think things through, something he'd learned the hard way in his younger years. He begins a fast-paced stride back towards the night club, noticing how more people had filtered outside and onto the street, crowding the area and spilling out onto this avenue.

"Hey gorgeous, you need a hand?"

Donna barely registers the remark, not bothering to lift her head from her hand, too focused on stay conscious, the urge to vomit had decreased significantly in the last few minutes, but the spinning in her head wasn't doing anything to help her state of mind.

She senses someone looming closer, shifting uncomfortably at the invasion of her personal space. She hears a second voice then, coming from the opposite side.

"Did you hear us sweetheart?" The voice is slurred and seedy and suddenly the urge to vomit has returned tenfold.

Donna doesn't respond, focusing all her energy into pulling herself to stand, the cold pavement stinging the soles of her bare feet.

"Where're you going?" She feels a grip on her upper arm and twists away from it pointlessly, she can barely stay upright, never mind shake this guy.

"Don't touch me." She hisses, shooting him a glare, she's not frightened, unfortunately well used to receiving unwanted attention from men on nights out in the past, it's the sad reality of the world we live in. Usually, she'd entertain them, only to gain the upper hand, eventually twisting the knife, she's relishes putting men like this in their place, but tonight – she's in no fit state of mind.

She looks them up and down, it's the first time she'd bothered to acknowledge them and she reads them as best she can, given her current situation. Both taller than her by a couple of inches, the first blonde and the second sallow, both younger than her, she catches the second man's eye and internally curses, both high.

"We just want to help." The sallow man speaks again, but his tone is far from sincere, placing a hand on her lower back – too low. She glances around through blurry vision, looking for any sign of Harvey, or anyone else near-by. She can't spot him and no one seems to have noticed, all to intoxicated to care.

"My boyf-riend – he'll b-be ba-ck..." She hates herself forplaying that card but shaking them off on her own doesn't seem like much of an option.

"We better getting moving then huh?"

She feels the grip on her arm tighten and tug her to the left, the second man linking his arm with her free elbow, she makes her body go slack in resistance, anchoring herself backwards and slamming all three of them back against the wall. The blond, and who she's guessing to be the more stoned of the two, slips to the floor but she manages to keep herself upright. She breathes a sigh of relief before the second man closes in.

Harvey rounds the corner, aiming his gaze to where he'd left Donna, his jaw nearly hits the floor.

He's storming clumsily in her direction but before he reaches her, he watches in shock and amusement as she pulls her elbow back, before striking forward, clocking the asshole in the nose, followed by a sharp kick to the groin.

He continues to rush forward, noticing the blond man beginning to rise to his feet. Harvey reaches them, hooking the guy on the side of the head from behind, leaving him on the floor groaning beside his accomplice. He turns his attention to Donna then, expecting to find her upset, hurt or worse.

To his surprise, there's no fear in her eyes, her cheeks splitting in an incredulous grin as she bursts out laughing. She's not sure if it's shock or relief but she's glad of the release, and while she knows what just occurred will hit her like a ton of bricks when she's sober, she relishes in her own selfish pride at taking the assholes down.

"Are you ok-"

She grabs his hand, pulling him off in the direction of central park, the adrenaline coursing through her giving her a new boost to her drunk state, ignoring his question as she continues to laugh, dragging him along the better part of two blocks before she finally speaks.

"Did you see how easy he went down." She exclaims, and Harvey's mouth falls slack, not sure how to respond, "maybe I should start boxing with you."

He allows himself to snigger, but pulls back against her hold, stopping her just short of the entrance to the park.

"Seriously Don," he cups her cheek with his free hand, and she leans into the touch, "are you alright?"

She smiles softly at his concern. Wanting to admit that she's come up against a lot worse than dumb and dumber back there but knowing it'll only fuel his worry.

She plants a chaste kiss on his mouth, the taste of tequila on his tongue is almost enough to give her another kick, energy suddenly coursing through her, it's like she's drifting backwards through the usual stages of drunkenness, and she's just hit hyper.

"Catch me." She whispers against his chin before taking off, her vision still a little blurred but just clear enough that she can put one foot in front of the other, disappearing through the nearest entrance to the park.

"Donna!" he calls out after her, running to catch up but by the time he's made it down the path way and into the wooded area of the empty park she's out of sight. He's puzzled at first. Wondering how on earth she managed to run so far in her bare feet when it dawns on him.

She's hiding.

All worry and resentment from earlier had evaporated, his intoxicated body allowing him to slip into that childlike mindset, playing along willingly with her antics.

"Don-na" he sings out, taking in his surroundings as he tries to locate her, the park is deserted and lit only by the moonlight in the night's sky. He steps off the path and into a cluster of trees, moving carefully and listening for any sign of her.

He hears a rustling coming from the left and moves quietly in its direction, coming nearer a small clearing in the center of the trees.

He spots her.

But she hasn't noticed yet, and he decides to take advantage, ducking from tree to tree as he makes his way closer.

He can hear her breathing now, noticing how it sounds like she's trying to stifle a giggle.

He takes his chances, launching towards her and grabbing her around the waist, she lets out a shocked shriek, locking her hands on his shoulders as she stumbles backwards from the force, tripping over a protruding tree root in the process and tumbling down to the ground.

He lands on top of her, unlike earlier, and immediately sits back, worried he'd hurt her, but instead, he's met with a ream of giggles. She clutches at her stomach, trying to catch her breath as she squirms on the grass, only just calming down as he flops down beside her, lying side by side.

They're quiet for some time. Both trapped in their own heads as they stare at the masterpiece of stars painted above them, he can't remember the last time he felt this free, this lighthearted. She brings out that part of him that no one ever sees, without even trying. It's completely effortless, the effect they both have on each other, a bond so rare that the sentiment catches in his throat. It's only when he feels Donna's hand slip into his, that he feels grounded again in reality.

"Sorry I got so drunk tonight." She murmurs, not turning to face him.

"Don't be sorry," he squeezes her hand, "I'm not exactly sober either." He chuckles, "besides, I haven't had this much fun in a long time."

He notices a smile tug at her cheeks, his heading turning to the side to admire her, make up mostly worn away, freckled skin beginning to surface, long lashes that curl all the way to her eyebrows as she looks up.

She may be completely taken with the stars, but he prefers this view.

Her head falls to the side then, catching him mid-gaze, her eyes widening suddenly as her smile fades, lips left parted as she takes in the expression of adoration on his face.

She sits up quickly, a little too quickly, leaving her head spinning once again, tears stinging her eyes as she attempts to stop them but can't. Beads slipping one after the other down her cheeks as she sniffles.

"Hey, shhh," he soothes, sitting up alongside her and placing a cautious hand on her upper back, "What's wrong?"

"I just – you – " she stammers, trying to pull herself together and form a coherent sentence,

"Relax," he whispers, "breathe, then tell me what's up."

"The way you looked at me –" she sobs again, struggling to speak.

He shakes his head confused, his brow furrowing, "I look at you like that all the time Donna – I always have…" hemurmurs, stroking a strand of hair behind her ear and placing a gentle kiss on her wet cheek.

"I know," she smiles gently, she can remember every time he's ever looked at her in that special way, right back to the times at the DA's office, that look that sends butterflies to her stomach, never failing to make her blush, "but, it's just sort of hit me now.." she laughs quietly.

"I remember a time, not so long ago, before we… were where we are now," she hesitates, wiping another stray tear from her cheek, "when you used to look at me like that, and I'd have to pretend it meant nothing, convince myself I didn't see it… but now…" she sniffles again, her chest shaking as she breathes in, "now I don't have to anymore, and it just feels so… so…"

"Freeing." He finishes for her with a smile, understanding exactly how she feels.

"I've loved you, always." She adds, "and just because we're together now, it doesn't mean I've completely forgotten what it was like… how hard it was, before."

He smiles empathetically, understanding all too well how she feels, he'd been in denial most his life when it came to her, and looking back he's not sure how they managed as long as they did ,"I've loved you too, always, and I will, for the rest of my life."

She nuzzles herself into his chest, as he leans back down on the grass, his arm draped around her body keeping her close, and it's no surprise that before long sleep takes hold.

He wakes first, the first light of day almost blinding him, he can feel the rumblings of a hangover brewing, but pushes it aside as he realizes with a lurch of his stomach, that they're still in the god damn park.

Donna is curled closely against him, still fast asleep, her skin cold to the touch in the early morning air.

Glancing at his watch it reads 5:24am, at least it's early enough to make it home without being seen, kind of.

He takes off his suit jacket, wrapping it round her shoulders before scooping her up in his arms.

He finds a cab easily, the short drive home passing in an instant, she doesn't stir the whole way. Not even when he fumbles with the front door, or lays her down on the bed, tucking her in nicely before joining her.

Although they may regret their adventures later, they'd both agree, they'd happily endure the hangover, if they could do it all over again.

**XXX**

**This fic was inspired by a throwaway comment made my May (darveyscatus) on Twitter. And I just kind of ran away with my take on it, which resulted in a lot of requests for a fic! **

**I wrote this in only a couple of days, on top of studying for my 10 (ugly) exams so I hope it doesn't seem rushed and lives up to expectations! **

**Please let me know what you think in the review section, it would really help ease all this exam stress! **

**I'll hopefully be back with lots more fics this summer so stay tuned!! Xxx**


End file.
